Percy Jackson and the Paragons
by Nitemare08
Summary: The Paragons are five characters I created as part of my work-in-progress novel. Taking place after The Last Olympian this is the story of how Grant, Alice, David, Matt, and Dawn meet Percy and Annabeth and work together to find one of the most ancient Greek artifacts and stop an enemy as old as mankind itself.
1. Chapter 1

So, I am a novice novelist and am working on writing my own novel, but I always thought it would be cool if my characters met the characters from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus Universe. Of course I don't own anything except for the characters of Grant, Alice, Matt, David, and Dawn. So, here goes nothing.

It was a bright day in the state of Maine. On the east coast there was a large white house with the forest to its back and a large clearing to its front with a sudden drop off as the cliff met the ocean. Halfway between the house and the cliff edge was a small wooden bench. There on the bench sat Alice Millen, a girl of about 16 with long brown hair supported by a blue headband with a matching blue and white blouse. Alice took a deep breath, inhaling the salty ocean air.

_This is the life,_ she thought as she leaned back and opened a crisp new book. Her nose filled with that hardcover book smell. She started reading the first few sentences before her relaxation was interrupted by loud yelling. Alice turned to look at the house. In one of the windows she could see two shadows arguing. One of the shadows grabbed the other by the shoulders and suddenly they both vanished.

At the same moment, Matt appeared at the edge of the cliff holding David by his ankle over the edge.

"Seriously, dude what did you do with my jacket?" questioned Matt. Out of the six of them at the house Matt was the most moody. It was understandable though, since he went through a lot of traumatic events in his life. Now he was the oldest in a group of super-powered outcasts living together in a house in Maine. Matt had the ability to teleport himself and anyone he had physical contact with along with absorption and manipulation of kinetic energy. Also, he was really strong ,having grown up alone on the streets. He was currently demonstrating that strength by dangling David over a 50 foot drop into the ocean.

"Matt, are you crazy?" Alice yelled at him. "Let him go!"

"Not until he gives me back my jacket."

"Sheesh, you and that jacket," said David. "You know I've never seen you take it off before and I've gotta say you're quite a well toned man. I mean the muscles are practically ripping that shirt right off your chest. I'm not gay, but those biceps are mesmerizing."

"David! Give Matt his jacket back," said Alice.

"Well you see... there's a problem with that." David was the most immature of the group. He was cocky, blatant, loud-mouthed, and annoying. He was, also, Alice's boyfriend for reasons beyond her understanding. David was one of the last few mages left in the world, the only other one being Alice. A mage is, as you would expect, someone who could use magic. "I kind of turned your jacket into a puppy."

"Why the hell would you do that?" asked Matt.

"Because I wanted to give Alice a gift for our two week anniversary."

"Aww," said Alice. "I don't like dogs that much, but thanks for the thought."

"Where is the puppy now?" asked Matt.

"Where you would expect a dog to be, in the doghouse. Please, let me go now. The blood is rushing to my head and I'm in excruciating pain."

Matt glanced back at Alice, who nods. Matt throws David back onto the grass. "Thank you, so much for showing me mercy." David groveled at Matt's feet. "I promise I won't waste this second chance, you've so graciously given me. You won't have reason to be mad at me ever again, I swear."

Alice pulled David to his feet. "You said the exact same thing yesterday."

"Well don't tell him that," responded David. Alice put her face in her palm.

"I would get his head checked out if I were you," Matt said to Alice. "I think he's got a few screws loose."

"Tell me something I don't know."

Matt teleported away to find his jacket/puppy leaving Alice alone with David on the cliff. She stares off the edge at the beautiful view of the ocean. She took David's hand in hers. "Did you really want to give me a puppy?" she asked.

"Of course, have I ever lied to you?" David quickly added, "Don't answer that!"

Alice smiled. She pulled David closer to her and put her head on his shoulder. David blushed. For the first time ever he was speechless. Alice didn't care, she wanted the silence to last forever. But it didn't.

_Alice. Alice. Alice. Alice._ She could hear the thoughts of her twin brother, Grant. They shared a sort of telepathy so they could communicate with each other over great distances with just a thought.

"What!?" she yelled out loud, startling David so he almost fell off the cliff. Alice, still holding David's hand, pulled him back.

_What?_ Thought Alice.

_I'm having some trouble talking to Dawn. She's freaking out about the future again. Could use some help if you're willing to offer it._

Alice sighed. _I'm on my way. Keep her from hiding again or we'll never find her._

"Trouble with your brother?" asked David.

"Trouble with Dawn," responded Alice. Together they rushed back to the house.

Dawn is a nice girl. She actually lived in the 1600s until she was rescued by Grant and Alice on a weird time-traveling adventure. Dawn was accused of being a witch and was about to be burned at the stake. The villagers were frightened because Dawn could manipulate light to make herself invisible. Unfortunately, bringing her to the present has made her go into future-shock a few times. The group tries to introduce her to new things slowly, but sometimes it still proves to be overwhelming. Luckily, this wasn't one of those times.

Grant sat at the head of a large oak dinner table. Scattered across the table were pictures of people and folders with lots of documents in them. Alice and David came rushing in through the side door. Grant greeted them with a nod.

"Now, I bet you're all wondering why I called you here today," stated Grant in an entirely serious tone. He was seated at the opposite end of Alice and David with his hands together.

"Where's Dawn?" questioned Alice.

"She's probably making out with Matt upstairs, who knows? Those two have that thing where they're kind of together, but neither one wants to risk the friendship by admitting it."

"So, then yes, I am wondering why you called me here today," said Alice, scowling.

"Glad you asked," said Grant, who stood up and smiled. "I took the liberty of looking through some of ARC's unsolved case files." He pointed to the folders on the table.

"I'm going to assume you didn't have permission to take those files," said Alice, crossing her arms.

"You assume correctly, my dear sister, but that's beside the point. You know how there have been a few monster sightings where some people could see them and some couldn't, almost as if the monsters were shrouded in some way by a veil or something?" Grant slid an open folder across the table to David, who picked it up and flipped through the contents, nodding.

"Is this going somewhere?" asked Alice.

"In due time, yes it is. I cross referenced several of these cases where monsters seemed to disappear without any interference from ARC or us. It seems that several of these cases involves a select few individuals." Grant threw some photos on the table. One photo was of a scruffy teenage boy with dark hair and sea-green eyes. The other was a picture of a blonde girl who's stormy gray eyes seemed to frighten you even though you knew it was just a photo. They both wore orange T-shirts with the words "Camp Half-Blood" written on them.

"Notice the matching shirts," said Grant. "Whoever these two are, they leave destruction in their wake. Remember that incident in Seattle? That was them. I think that this 'Camp Half-Blood' is a breeding grounds for evil monsters and these kids unleash them upon the world."

"Okay, so you lied to me about Dawn having a panic attack so I'd come and listen to your crazy theories?" asked Alice. She put her hands on the table and leaned forward. Her angry gaze almost matched the girl in the photo's.

"It's not like you would have come if I'd told the truth. I had to say something you'd believe. David, you understand right?"

David opened his mouth to answer, but changed his mind when he saw the look on Alice's face. "That was not cool, man."

Grant frowned. "Aww, you're taking her side? What happened to you, man? You used to be cool."

David collapsed on the table and reached his hand out to Grant. "I can't help it. She's got me on a leash of love. Save me quick before I do something out of character!" David dramatically rolled on his back clutching his chest and slowly slid off the table, playing dead. A few moments of silence passed. Grant pantomimed removing a hat and bowed his head.

David suddenly stood up and said, "Actually, it sounds like a good lead. We should at least check it out."

Alice sighed. "Fine we'll go investigate. Did you get a possible location?"

"You bet I did," said Grant. "The guy's name is Percy Jackson. He goes to Goode High School in New York, New York. I say we go undercover as students and find out the truth about these masquerading marauders."

"What's high school?" asked Dawn, suddenly appearing next to Grant, who trips over his chair in surprise.

"Dawn! Were you spying on us the whole time?"asked Alice.

Dawn took a bite of the apple she held in her hand. "Only after I heard my name." She had long white hair that passed her shoulders. She always wore a white patchwork cloak with the hood down. She never went anywhere without it since it was given to her by her mother. Alice and Grant once took Dawn shopping, only to find that fashion transcends time. Dawn quickly picked out several outfits that somehow matched the white cloak. She was currently wearing outfit number 8.

"I'm glad you're here, actually," said Grant, picking himself off the floor. "That saves me having to explain the whole thing again. We're going back to high school and you're coming with us. It's time you seen what teenage life is really like in the 21st century. But, whatever you do, if you're at a party don't eat the brownies."

"I don't know what those are."

"I thought Matt was in charge of explaining desserts. Actually, come to think of it, that was a bad idea."

"Yeah, I was homeless for 13 years, remember?" said Matt from the doorway behind Grant.

Grant almost fell over again. "Geez, is everyone trying to give me a heart attack today?"

"If you're going to school I want no part in it."

"I don't mean to insinuate anything, but Dawn's going with us. I'm sure there will be a lot of guys hitting on her," said Grant slyly.

"They're going to hit me!?" exclaimed Dawn.

"No, Dawn, it's a figure of speech," explained Alice. "It just means that you may acquire gentleman suitors in your time at high school."

"Why do all of your figures of speech sound so awful?"

"Alright, I'll go," said Matt. "Someone's gotta look out for the time-traveler here. Nobody will hit you or hit on you while I'm around."

"It's settled then," said Grant. "Pack your bags tonight cause tomorrow we leave for Goode High School."

So, that was my first attempt at fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed it. The crossover characters are coming next chapter, I me know what you think. I'm always happy to hear some feedback.


	2. Chapter 2: First Contact

**Hi and welcome back for chapter 2. If you've made it this far I applaud your dedication. As promised Percy and Annabeth make their debut as the Paragons infiltrate Goode High. **

As it turns out, packing wasn't necessary. In the morning Matt teleported the group, backpacks and all, across the street from Goode High. All five stood in awe at the mission they were about to undertake.

Alice was the first to snap out of it. She zipped her backpack open and began pulling out papers. "Okay, guys I got schedules for everyone here. The locker numbers and combinations are on the back. I think we've all got a class with this Jackson kid so we can keep an eye on him."

"What about the girl, Annabeth Chase?" asked Matt.

"She goes to a private school nearby. I asked Olivia to get me in, but apparently falsifying records for private school is much harder to do on short notice. Don't worry she's Jackson's girlfriend so she'll never be too far from him."

"How do you know that?" asked Grant.

"She's over there making out with him." Alice pointed to the school's entrance where Annabeth just finished giving Percy a goodbye kiss. They said their goodbyes and Annabeth ran off.

"There he is. I'm moving in." Grant started running, but Matt grabbed his shoulder.

"Not yet. We don't know how dangerous he is," warned Matt.

"Or if he's actually a good guy," suggested Dawn.

The others stared at Dawn. "No I'm pretty sure he's evil," said Grant.

"Yeah, we're the good guys," said David. "There can't be more than five good guys, that's way too one-sided."

"If he's the good guy then that makes us the bad guys," said Matt. "And I refuse to be a bad guy... again."

Alice shrugged. "You have to admit, the evidence is very substantial."

Dawn kept her eye on Percy as he entered the school. "Please, don't act too hastily. We still have very little information. "

"She's right," said Alice. "Recon first, action later."

"Hey Matt," said David. "I notice you have your red jacket on. May I ask how you turned it back after I turned it into a puppy?"

"You're not the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve," was Matt's only response.

David thought for a second. He was stumped. Finally, he shrugged and said, "Well, I wish you all luck on your first day of..." A loud electronic chime rang out across the road. "...Oh crap, we're late."

"Team meeting over everyone," Grant said.

Together they ran across the street and through the entrance. Then, they split up and each went to their separate classes. Grant ran to his first class of the day, history.

He burst through the door of his classroom. Inside about two dozen students stared at him confusedly.

"Thank you for joining us," said the history teacher, a short, stocky, bald man in a sweater-vest. "Since you're already standing, why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"

"M...my name is Grant Millen," Grant stammered. "I am 16 years old and I love history. Especially ancient history."

"Is that so? " asked the teacher. He gestured toward a boy in the front row, the boy Grant was supposed to spy on. "Percy Jackson here was just saying the same thing."

"I only said I was familiar with Greek mythology, Mr. Chandler." said Percy.

"You'll have to excuse me if I don't believe that so many kids are interested in history."

Grant took this as a personal insult. "Actually I'm taking an internship at a company that studies ancient Norse mythology."

Mr. Chandler raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What is the name of the company?"

"Umm... well... you've probably never heard of it. It's a small multi-national company." Grant said too much. ARC would literally kill him if he revealed them to a public school history teacher.

" He's telling the truth," said Percy, standing next to Grant. "Grant and I are in the same program. Right buddy?"

Grant played along. "Yeah, my good friend Percy knows all there is to know about Greek mythology."

"And Grant knows more about Norse mythology than the Huns themselves."

"Vikings," whispered Grant.

"Vikings," corrected Percy.

Mr. Chandler eyeballed them suspiciously. "Alright, I believe you. Now, take a seat and let's get started. We've wasted enough time already."

Grant took a seat next to Percy. "Thanks for the save," he whispered to Percy.

"No problem," responded Percy. He extended his hand to Grant. "Percy Jackson."

Grant shook his hand. "Grant Millen."

Next period, Alice and David sat next to each other in Trigonometry class. _He's actually a cool guy._ Grant was telepathically communicating with Alice. _Maybe he has an evil twin or something._

_It could still be a trick. I'll be careful not to make him suspicious._

Alice straightened her posture and looked to the front of the class where Percy was just entering and took a seat two rows ahead of her. She leaned to her left and tapped David's shoulder. "That's him."

David looked up from his notebook, where he was scribbling a lot of notes. "Huh, oh yeah. That's nice." He went back to his drawings.

Alice took a peak at what he was drawing. On the paper was a very detailed illustration of a puppy with an arrow pointing from the dog to a drawing of Matt's red jacket. There was a question mark above the arrow. David tapped his chin with the pencil's eraser.

"Really? I did it, okay? He asked me to change it back while you were packing."

"That... makes sense." He quickly drew a picture of Alice below the arrow and closed the notebook.

Alice wondered why she took the class with David. He was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans and a purple dress shirt. For some reason, he also wore his short black cape with a red inner lining.

"Why did you bring that stupid cape to school?" Alice scolded.

David looked offended. "When I was a little boy and realized I was a mage I promised that I would only use my magic for good. This cape makes me remember my promise to be a hero no matter what."

Alice looked at him in shock. Every time she thought she had David figured out he would surprise her, often in the best way possible. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."

"Hey guys!" said the bright young woman at the front of the class. "Sorry I'm late, the line at Starbucks was _really _long." She put her purse on the teacher's desk. "I'm Miss Valerie, your trig teacher for the year. You can call me Valerie, though. Miss makes it sound like I'm old."

"Yes, we get the hot, new teacher," said David.

"What?" demanded Alice.

"Look at her. She's wearing yoga pants and a fluffy mini-jacket. She'll be overheating by the end of the day. It's only the beginning of September, summer weather is still in effect."

"Suuure."

Class went on normally with Miss Valerie explaining quadratic equations. "Now, I'll pass out these worksheets and you can get into groups of three."

"Now's our chance." Alice got up and walked to Percy. "Excuse me, do you want to work..."

"Hey, Percy!" exclaimed a girl behind Alice. She shoved Alice to the side and put her hands on Percy's desk. "So, me, you, and Kelsey as a group sound good?"

"Actually, I think she was just about to..." Percy pointed to Alice.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun." The girl grabbed Percy's arm and pulled him from his desk. He looked back as she dragged him away. He gave Alice a look that said, _Sorry._

David appeared next to Alice. "What was that?" he asked. "I've never seen you look so... powerless."

"What was I supposed to do?"

"You should have said something. You're stronger than them."

"And punching their lights out would have solved everything?"

"Not that kind of strong. You have no problem telling me off. You have it in you to stand up for yourself. Don't let them step all over you or they'll just keep taking advantage of you."

"I won't be a doormat, David. Thanks for the pep talk."

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to sit down and do my work. We'll have to get more information about Jackson tomorrow."

"That's not what I meant." David looked over to Percy, who looked really uncomfortable. The two girls at his desk were talking non-stop about Percy and occasionally feeling his muscles. "Wait here."

David sauntered over to the table where the girls were harassing Percy. "Percy!" David threw his hands in the air. "My man! How's it going, bro?" David held out his fist, which Percy confusedly bumped. "Hey, did you catch the game last night? I mean what was the ref thinking? I say he was blinder than a broad-footed mole."

Percy started to catch on. "Oh, yeah, I love sports. Can't get enough football." The girls looked even more confused than Percy was.

"That's my boy," David said as he playfully punched Percy's shoulder. "By the way I got a new exhaust pipe for my car. You've gotta see it, it's so killer. I've got a picture of it on my phone , come check it out." Percy got out of his seat and followed David.

"Yup, car stuff, gotta love it," said Percy, very unconvincingly. Luckily, the girls were too busy trying to figure out what a broad-footed mole was to stop him from leaving.

David brought Percy back to where Alice was sitting. "Hey, thanks for getting me out of there, man," said Percy. "I tried telling them I have a girlfriend, but they wouldn't listen."

"Don't worry, you're among friends here. I'm David. This is my girlfriend, Alice."

Percy seemed to relax when he heard David say girlfriend. "Good, I cannot deal with the girls here lately. They've been all over me since school started."

"I think it's because of the muscles bulging from your shirt," said Alice.

"Really? I don't have..." Percy looked at his arms. "Well, I guess I have been getting a lot of exercise this summer."

"Oh yeah?" Alice asked. "What did you do over summer?"

"I, uh, went to summer camp."

"Which summer camp? Was it Camp Half-Blood?"

Percy's eyes got wide. "How did you know?"

"That's what it says on your shirt."

Percy looked down. He forgot he was wearing his orange camp t-shirt. It was brand new and clean since his old one was torn up in the Battle of Manhattan. "Oh, yeah." Percy acted more defensive through the rest of the class.

During lunch Grant, Alice, David, Dawn, and Matt sat at a table together.

"Did you see how defensive he got when we brought up Camp Half-Blood?" asked Alice. "There's obviously something he's hiding."

"I don't know," said Grant. "Unless he has split personalities I don't think this guy is capable of causing mass destruction."

"I've got gym with him after lunch," said Matt. "I'll find out what he's truly capable of."

"What if that girl, Annabeth, has him brainwashed or something?" suggested Grant. "What do you think Dawn?"

Dawn looked up from the book she'd been reading. "Huh, what did you say?"

"What are you reading, Dawn?" asked Alice.

"It's a diary that my mom left before she died. It's all I have left of her." She showed her friends the book, but there was nothing written on the pages.

"It's... blank," said Grant.

"Yes, it doesn't make any sense," said Dawn. "I always saw her writing in it, but there is nothing on the pages."

"Hmm," said David. "That sounds familiar. Can I see the diary."

Before Dawn could hand David the small leather book Percy appeared at the side of their table. "Hey, Grant," he said, "David. Alice. Can I borrow your friend here for a second?" He looked at Dawn.

"Me?"

"Yeah, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Matt was in stunned silence. Dawn stood up and shakily said, "O-okay." Together, Dawn and Percy walked out to the hallway.

Percy dropped the friendly smile once they were alone. "Okay, who or what are you?"

"I-I don't understand."

"You're definitely not a normal human."

"I'm not?"

"If you're a monster then let's just get this over quick. I am not someone you want to be messing with right now."

"I'm not a monster!" Dawn had been called a monster enough times in her life. Back in the cafeteria Matt heard Dawn's scream and immediately got up and ran for the hallway.

"If you're not a monster then how do you explain the glowing?"

"What?"

"You're glowing."

"Um, thank you?"

Percy took a step forward. "The Mist must be really powerful around you if you can't even see it yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"Look this is going to sound really strange, but trust me on this. I've got to get you to Annabeth. She'll know more about this than I do."

At that time Matt burst through the doors and ran towards Percy. Percy instinctively grabbed his pen and clicked it. The pen expanded into his celestial bronze sword, Riptide, pointing at Matt's chest.

Matt growled and leaped at Percy anyway. Matt dodged Percy's swipe and tackled him. Before either of them could hit the ground Matt teleported them both away leaving Dawn alone in the hallway.

**What will happen between Matt and Percy? What is the secret of the diary? Why is Dawn different? Find out the answer to these questions and more in the next installment of Percy Jackson and the Paragons.**


	3. Chapter 3: Monsters

**I was on a roll with the last chapter so I got this one done pretty quick. I hope this next chapter makes up for the cliffhanger at the end of the last one. Similarly to the last couple of chapters, I have no idea of where the story's going with this one. Anything from here on out will be pretty much spontaneous. Now enjoy the thrilling continuation of Percy Jackson and the Paragons.**

Percy tumbled around in the grass. He finally found his footing and managed to stand up. Percy inspected his surroundings. He was in a large clearing in the middle of a pine tree forest. Percy could hear the sound of rushing water nearby. Matt stood across from him in the clearing.

"Teleportation's a new one," Percy said. "I've never seen a monster do that before."

"Monster? What do you know of monsters?" asked Matt.

"Only that I've fought bigger monsters than you."

Matt thrust his fist forward. Percy was suddenly hit with a wave of force that knocked him back and threw his sword into the forest behind him.

"I've seen a real monster. Where I come from fighting monsters only gets you killed."

Percy got to his feet and held out his hand. The water from the nearby creek flowed through the air and swirled around him forming a shield.

"I've lost all of my friends, everyone I've ever cared about , to monsters. I'm not about to let you take another."

Matt laid his hand on the nearest pine tree and teleported it fifty feet in the air above Percy. Percy looked up just in time for his water bubble shield to deflect the tree with a splash. Percy looked back down to search for Matt. Suddenly he fell on his back and his chest was in pain. Matt stood inside the bubble and picked up Percy by the collar.

"If you want to fight monsters you have to become one yourself," said Matt as he held Percy up and clenched his fist. "So, you claim to have fought bigger monsters than me? Well, there aren't any monsters bigger than me. Not anymore."

"You talk too much," said Percy. The bubble collapsed and water surrounded both Percy and Matt. Percy pushed Matt, who let go of his collar. The bubble expelled Matt onto the ground. Percy reached into his pocket and found his pen. Matt coughed trying to get the water out of his lungs. He looked up as Percy's shadow covered him. Percy brought Riptide down and leveled it at his face.

"Who _are_ you people?" asked Percy.

Matt teleported behind Percy and tried to take him by surprise. Percy was too fast and spun around with Riptide thrust forward through Matt's chest.

Matt's hand shook. He unclenched his fist and brought his hands to his chest. Percy, eyes wide with shock, pulled the sword out and dropped it at his feet. "You... You're..." stammered Percy. "You're... mortal." The sword left no wound. It had passed harmlessly through Matt's chest.

"And you're not?" asked Matt, still trying to believe he had almost been impaled.

"No... well, I am, but I'm a demigod," explained Percy.

"Alright, pretty boy, you've got a lot to explain, but not here. You're coming with me."

"Do I have a choice in how I get there?"

"Nope." Matt grabbed Percy's shoulder and teleported them both back to Good High School.

"What did you do?" yelled Alice. The group was gathered in the empty cafeteria after lunch.

"Camper Boy was threatening Dawn. What was I supposed to do?" responded Matt.

"Not put our mission in jeopardy. Dawn's a big girl, she can handle herself." Dawn stood quietly in the corner.

"Whatever, I knew this team was a bad idea." Matt teleported away.

"Is he normally like that?" asked Percy.

"Matt's been through a lot, more than the rest of us have," said Grant. "He'll be fine after he has a chance to cool off."

"Speaking of which, who are you guys?"

Grant smiled. "I like to call us the Paragons, the perfect heroes and the saviors of the world. As you can see that may be a bit of an exaggeration."

"No kidding."

"Alice and I are twins. She can use magic. I am more drawn to magic weapons and swordplay. David is also a mage, but a much more practiced one. Matt can teleport and generate waves of force form his body. Dawn is from the seventeenth century and can manipulate light."

Percy locked eyes with Alice. "You're sure you're not a child of Hecate or something?"

"I'm a child of Andrew Millen, a successful lawyer from Buffalo. Is that anything similar?"

"Demigod? Hecate? What's with you and the Greek?" asked Grant.

"If you want the short version..." started Percy.

"Yes, please," said David, sitting cross-legged like a kindergartener during story time.

"Greek gods are real and so are monsters. I am a demigod, half god, half mortal. Me and others like me are constantly being hunter by monsters. Most of the time a magic veil called the Mist makes mortals unable to see any mythological creatures."

"Which explains the strange reports of invisible monsters," said Grant.

"You guys are taking this all surprisingly well."

David put his foot on the chair next to Percy. "Once you've faced down a snake as big as the equator, there is very little that can unnerve you."

"A snake?"

"That's a story for another time, Percy," interrupted Grant. "How about now we talk about what was going on with Dawn?" Dawn turned her back to the others at the mention of her name.

"I don't know. She's lit up like a Christmas tree and I'm the only one that can see it."

Everyone turned their attention to the girl in the white cloak. She kept her face turned away from everyone. "Dawn? Are you okay?" Alice put her hand on Dawn's shoulder.

Suddenly Dawn turned around with tears in her eyes. "No! I'm not okay! My mother was a witch. They said I was born from her sins. After she was killed for practicing witchcraft the townspeople came after me. I'm a hell-spawn and all my mother left me was a bad reputation and a stupid blank book!" She threw the diary on the ground and sobbed in the corner. Alice tried to comfort her as David picked up the diary.

"I don't think this is a normal diary," said David. Dawn slowly stopped crying.

"What do you mean? " asked Grant.

"I can feel some residual magic in the pages," said David as he flipped through the diary. "There's, like, thoughts being emanated from the pages, but I can't make any of it out. It's written in ancient Greek."

"Let me try," said Percy.

"Are you sure? There's a lot of thoughts in here."

"If it helps to find some answers."

"Okay, take my hand. I'll see if I can transfer the thoughts to you."

Percy took David's hand and closed his eyes. Instantly floods of words floated in front of him in ancient Greek. Percy read the first few lines. "To whomever finds this diary, let it be known that the stories about me are false."

Dawn stepped next to Percy. "Keep reading," she said with a hopeful glint in her eye.

"The gods have made me the scapegoat for their cruelty. Now, all of humanity must suffer because of my mistakes. I cannot right the wrongs I have wrought upon this world, but I will try my best to preserve what is left. With all my power I will return the demons to the box from whence they've spawned. And Dawn, if you're reading this, know that I've always loved you more than anything. Signed, your mother, Pandora."

Percy let go of David's hand. "Your mother was Pandora? _The_ Pandora?" Percy asked.

"Pandora's Box, Pandora?" added Grant.

"Her name was Pandora, yes, but what's this about a box?" asked Dawn.

"It's a Greek myth that the gods created Pandora as the first mortal woman and gave her a box that she was never allowed to open," explained Percy.

"Except, she did open it and unleashed the evils of the world on mankind," finished Grant.

"So, my mother really was a witch," said Dawn sadly. "But she said she was trying to save the world, she was going to return the demons to the box."

"Well considering stuff like greed and hatred and still prevalent today, I don't think she was very successful," said Alice.

"Try reading the last few pages," suggested Grant. "Maybe it will say why she was in Salem being prosecuted as a witch."

Percy took David's hand again and read the last few lines of the diary. "I have learned that Fear runs rampant in Salem. This is where I must go. The demon Fear will likely not be accepting of my presence, but I still have the greatest weapon against the evil, hope. Today I opened the box and tried to draw out the light of hope that remained inside. What appeared in front of me shocked me to the core. It was not a magical weapon or even a shapeless mass of darkness like the others, it was a little girl. I have come to love the girl and have decided to raise her as my daughter, Dawn.

" Dawn grows stronger every day, I almost forget that she was once a baby girl. Ever since I found her 15 years ago Dawn has captured my heart. I regret not telling her the truth, but this is not the path I want for her. She should be free to choose her own destiny. And to think I once wanted to use her as a weapon. No, this is a path I must travel alone otherwise the world Dawn grows up in will never be safe.

"They're coming for me, the agents of Fear. They will burn me alive once they find me, but I must keep Dawn safe at all costs. I underestimated the hold that Fear had over the minds of the people here. Dawn, if you're reading this, get out of Salem, find somewhere safe and follow your heart. It is too late for me, Fear has taken a hold of me as well. I fear not for my life, but for yours. "

Silence filled the air. All eyes fell on Dawn. "That...that certainly explains things," said Grant.

"No kidding," said Alice.

"That's why the Mist concealed your glow from everybody else," said Percy. "You're one of the most ancient beings in existence."

"Your mother wasn't a witch. She died trying to protect you from evil," said Alice. Dawn stared at the diary as though it was alive. She made no sounds and no movements.

"Percy?" called a voice from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Annabeth Chase enter the room. "Percy, I got your Iris-message. Who are these people?"

Percy ran to Annabeth and gave her a big hug. "Annabeth, there is a lot to tell you, but first let me introduce you to my new friends. This is Alice, Grant, David, and Da... where's Dawn?"

Dawn was nowhere in sight. Outside the school Dawn lifted the hood of her cloak. Matt suddenly appeared in front of her. "What did you want?" he asked coldly.

"I have something I need to do, something personal. I need to do it alone, but I would really appreciate your help getting there." She held out her hand.

Matt's expression softened. He took her hand. "Where to?"

**It looks like things are heating up. Where is Dawn going? What will she do? What does Annabeth think of all this? These questions and more will be answered in the next exciting installment of Percy Jackson and the Paragons.**


	4. Chapter 4: Ghosts

**Sorry this chapter took a while. I needed to make sure that it was absolutely perfect before posting it. Also, be prepared for a special guest character in this chapter. Finally, thanks to everyone whose read this far into the story. Your support means the world to me. And now we rejoin our heroes where we left off.**

"This isn't good," said David. "I mean we've literally lost hope."

"Why would she just leave?" asked Alice. "It doesn't make any sense."

Percy finished catching Annabeth up on the events of the day. "And when I turned around she was gone."

Annabeth sighed. "Percy, we have to tell Chiron about this. She could be the key to defeating the demons from the box."

"Chiron?" asked Grant. "Isn't that the boat guy from the Underworld?"

Annabeth and Percy exchanged glances. "He's a centaur back at Camp Half-Blood," said Annabeth. "He might know how to find your friend."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I know where she went," said Grant.

"You do?" said Alice.

"Of Course." Grant casually checked his phone. "She's in Salem, the exact same place her mom told her to stay away from."

"How did you know that?"

"Since the last time Dawn decided to play hide-and-seek I put a tracker on her cloak in case we needed to find her again.

"Grant! I can't believe you would do that." scolded Alice.

"Look, it came in handy didn't it?"

"This is the most insensitive, immature, heartless things you've ever done."

"It's not heartless if it leads us to keeping her safe. It's morally ambiguous at most.

"Don't mean to interrupt," said David, "but time's a wastin' and we should go."

"How will we get to Salem? Matt was our ride home and he left us here," said Grant.

Annabeth whispered to Percy, "Who's Matt?"

"Long story," Percy responded.

"Can I hear it?"

"It's better if you don't."

David stepped forth. "I believe I can handle our transportation issues." David moved to the door and motioned for everyone else to follow.

Once outside David looked to the sky and whistled loudly. A few pedestrians walking by gave him strange looks. "And now we wait," said David. He sat on the front steps of the school.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Annabeth. She sat down along with everyone else.

"My friend."

"Okay... how's your friend going to get us to Salem?"

"He's going to fly us there."

"Unless your friend is a private jet, I don't think he'll be able to get us all there," added Percy.

"You'll see," said David.

After a few minutes of waiting David looked up to the sky and smiled. "He's here."

In the sky the clouds parted to reveal a large green creature flying towards the school. It was at least fifteen feet long from head to tail with a 35 foot wingspan. It's body was covered in green scales with large horns on its head. It landed in front of the group and looked inquisitively at everyone.

David jumped up and yelled, "Scales!" He gave the creature a big hug and scratched the underside of its chin. The creature made a sound like a purr and nuzzled David.

"What is that?" asked Percy.

"Guys, meet Scales, the best pet dragon in the world," said David. "Saddle up, we're going to Massachusetts."

Percy was going to say something about the lack of actual saddles, but then David waved his hand and a saddle magically appeared on the dragon's back with enough space for five passengers. Once everybody was securely fastened in Scales leapt into the air and flew off into the distance.

"Doesn't anybody notice the giant dragon that just landed in front of a school?" asked Alice.

"I don't know," said David. "Nobody ever calls me out on it so I assume they're cool with it."

"Hey, David, was it?" asked Annabeth.

"Yes?"

"If I may ask, why did you name your dragon Scales? You just seem like a much more... creative person."

"I'd like to think I'm actually more unexpected than creative. Also, I meant to name him Jim Morrison, but it didn't fit on his dog tag."

Annabeth just noticed the little silver dog tag hanging around Scales's neck. "Makes sense."

"Can this thing go any faster?" asked Percy. "I don't really like flying too much."

"Not unless you want your organs to stay in New York while the rest of your body is in Massachusetts," replied David.

"What?"

"It's a physics thing. Basically, your body can't handle the speeds that Scales is capable of."

"So we're stuck here out in the vulnerable open air, huh?"

"Yup."

Scales picked up speed. Clouds flew by amazingly fast. Scales flew into a flock of birds and came out with a few feathers in between his teeth. David tried to scold him about eating dessert before dinner, but the rushing wind obscured his words. After several minutes Scales began to descent on a small park.

All around was nothing but quaint shops and diners. A restaurant with outdoor seating bustled with energy nearby. A couple seated at one of the tables glanced at the dragon that just landed across the street from them, but went back to their conversation.

"I will never understand the Mist," said Percy as he slid off the dragon's back.

"How do you know it wasn't me cloaking Scales from normal mortals?" asked David.

"You can do that?"

"I don't know," responded David. "Probably."

Grant took out his phone and checked the screen. "Where is she now, Grant?" asked Annabeth.

"I don't know. Something's going on with the tracker. I think it's broken."

"Well, at least we've narrowed the search area," said Alice.

"You're welcome," said Grant.

Alice scowled at Grant, but before she could say something David jumped between them holding a box of pop tarts. "Who wants snacks?" he asked.

While everyone enjoyed the snacks Grant and Annabeth talked strategy. "If we split up we can cover more ground," said Grant.

"But if something bad happens to one of us we will be all alone," responded Annabeth.

"Good point. How about teams of two?"

"There's only five of us. Who's going to be the odd man out?"

"There's six of us including Scales. David and him can search from above while the rest of us do the footwork."

"It's better than no plan at all."

Percy bit into his blueberry pop tart at a picnic table in the middle of the park. Alice sat down across from him. "Hey," she said.

"Hey."

"So, um, sorry."

"For what?"

"For asking you about Camp Half-Blood earlier. I didn't mean to pry too much about your private life. Well, I did, but that was back when we thought you were a bad guy." Alice refused to look Percy in the eye.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I guess I just always figured our adventures would go unnoticed by mortals."

"What's it like? To know that your parents are gods?"

"One parent is a god," Percy corrected. "My dad is Poseidon. My mom is an artist."

"You seem like just a normal kid."

"Yeah, you should have seen me a few weeks ago, battling monsters in a war for the fate of mankind and god-kind."

Alice smiled. "It doesn't get overwhelming sometimes?"

"Oh, it does all the time." Percy looked over his shoulder at Annabeth talking with Grant. "Whenever it gets too much, I just remember that I have the best friends in the world behind me."

Alice frowned and looked over her shoulder where David was scratching Scales's nose before he sneezed and set David's shirt on fire. As he rolled around in the grass trying to put the fire out Alice turned back to Percy. "You two are lucky to have each other."

"Don't I know it. She's saved me more times than I can remember."

"So, I've been meaning to ask you about your sword-pen. Does it only turn into a sword when you need it or does it impale your desk if you click it when you're taking a test?"

"Actually, it..." Percy's voice trailed off. His attention moved from Alice to someone at the other side of the park. The kid was wearing a black jacket and had his back turned to Percy and the others. He looked like he was talking to himself. Percy had suddenly realized that he was talking to a person. A transparent person. _A ghost_, thought Percy. He got up from the table and walked toward the stranger.

"Nico?" called Percy.

Nico turned around looking shocked. "Percy? What are you doing here?" The ghost fled.

"We're looking for our friend. Why are you here?"

"The ghosts in this town have been getting restless today. Something's got them riled up and I'm here to find out what."

"Right, official Underworld business," said Percy.

"Who's this?" asked Alice, standing at Percy's side.

"This is my friend Nico, son of Hades." Nico shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his father. "Nico, this is Alice. She and her friends are super heroes."

Alice shifted uncomfortably this time. "We're not exactly 'heroes', per say."

"You didn't happen to see a girl in a white cloak pass through here, did you?"

Nico's expression darkened. "That ghost I was talking to just now mentioned a girl with a white cloak showing up right before things got crazy."

"Why, what's going on with the ghosts?"

Nico looked at all the streets nearby. Suddenly, Percy noticed that, along with pedestrians, several ghosts in multiple different eras of clothing walked by. Every ghost had a look of fear on their faces. They would stare accusingly at every mortal or other ghost they passed. "They're afraid," said Nico. "Even restless spirits don't act like this. It took a long time to find one that would even talk to me."

"Do you think Dawn had something to do with this?" asked Alice.

"That ghost seemed to think so."

"Nico?" called Annabeth. She came running over to him followed by Grant and David.

"Annabeth," greeted Nico.

"What's going on?" asked Grant.

Before Nico could explain a loud explosion echoed across the park. Everyone turned their attention to a massive pillar of darkness reaching into the sky from a spot across town. All the mortals suddenly panicked and ran indoors. The ghosts walking the streets all stopped and glared at the demigods.

A wave of fear hit everyone. Scales flew off. Bad thoughts appeared in everyone's head. _You will never find your friend. These mortals hate you, don't listen to them. Your friends will die because of you. You will never be accepted for who you are._

Grant shook his head. "Is anyone else feeling really bad right now?"

"Same here," said Percy.

"I'd bet that evil-looking pillar of evil has something to do with it," said David.

"Then we'd better get over there quick."

The group was suddenly surrounded by ghosts. Their faces were disfigured with rage. Their fingers were replaced with long talons. "The child of Hades comes to take us to the Underworld," said one ghost.

"I'm not going without a fight," said another.

"Tear them all to shreds," said a third ghost.

Percy counted at least 20 ghosts and even more were appearing out of the ground. He removed his pen from his pocket and clicked it. Annabeth took out her dagger. Nico raised his Stygian iron sword. David held out a pencil that grew into a full sized staff with glowing runes etched into it. Alice's hands set ablaze with magic fire. Grant's watch turned into a large hammer that he lifted with surprising ease.

"I don't suppose you could convince them to let us go?" Alice asked Nico.

"Attack!" cried the ghosts. They surged forward.

Earlier that day

Matt stood arms crossed in the park scowling at all the happy people walking down the streets of Salem. Dawn knelt by a stone wall with a bunch of names etched into it.

"So this is what you wanted to come here for?" asked Matt.

Dawn placed her hand on the wall. "This is a memorial for everyone killed in the Salem witch trials," she said in a near whisper. "My mom's name isn't on here. She's been forgotten by the rest of the world."

Matt put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll be alright, come on I'll buy you some lunch. Some hot dogs should cheer you up."

Dawn wiped away a tear. "Thanks, but I have to do something first." She stood up, removed Matt's hand from her shoulder and walked away.

"Where are you going now?" Matt asked.

"Home."

** How will the group survive the ghost horde? What do the ghosts have to do with Dawn? What is Dawn planning anyway? All these questions and more will be answered in the next installment of Percy Jackson and the Paragons.**


	5. Chapter 5: Darkness

**Another quick release with this chapter. I really hope that you're enjoying reading as much as I enjoy writing these. And now on with the show!**

Matt ran to catch up with Dawn. She was already 50 feet away. Matt thought about just letting her go off on her adventure and returning home. Of course, that thought lasted about 1.3 seconds before he dismissed it and ran to her side. She was walking briskly toward a hill in the distance, a determined look in her eyes.

Matt could only imagine the roller coaster of emotions she'd gone through today. He figured she could be having another freak out, but she looked like she knew what she was doing. _Maybe she's just homesick_, Matt thought.

Dawn stopped suddenly at the door of a flower shop. The shop was closed, which was weird for a Monday afternoon. The shelves inside were littered with exotic plants of various colors and sizes. A sign above the door read 'Red Like Roses Flower Shop.' The place looked like it was deserted for years. Some plants were withered and wilting. Even with sunlight shining through the windows the shop was obscurely dark inside.

Dawn turned toward Matt. "I think you should go."

"I'm not leaving your side." Matt crossed his arms.

"You don't understand. This is something I have to do alone."

"Then help me understand. Tell me what you're doing."

"I'm finishing my mother's legacy."

"You couldn't have picked a more vague answer."

"Just... leave. Go back to the others. Tell them I won't be coming back."

"Now I'm definitely not leaving your side."

Dawn stomped her foot in rage. "Stop constantly trying to protect me. I'm capable of keeping myself alive."

"I know you are. I'm not worried about you getting hurt, I'm worried about you doing something you'll regret."

"And why's that?"

"Because you're the only one of us that's innocent."

Dawn paused. All the anger left her face. "Huh?"

"You have never done a bad thing in your life. Grant and Alice are constantly arguing with each other. David is ridiculously immature. I know their hearts are in the right place, but they've all done things they aren't proud of."

Dawn blinked. "What about you?"

"I'm the worst of them all. I've stolen enough stuff to fill a large shipping container. I've ransacked people's houses while the owners were away." Matt leaned against the wall of the flower shop and slumped down into a seated position.

"That's not all," said Dawn as she sat next to him, "is it?"

Matt took a big sigh. "No. While I was living on the streets I stole food from small stores to get by. One night while I was grabbing some bags of chips from a convenience store I noticed a little kid staring at me through the front window. He couldn't have been more than 6, but he looked like just skin and bones. When I walked outside I handed him a few of the bags of chips. He thanked me and ran off to his home in a little box in the alley between the convenience store and an apartment building."

"What was his name?"

"Didn't ask. I came back the next day and we started talking. Apparently, his parents had died in a car accident and he ran away from the foster care place. I sympathized with him. My story wasn't much different. We really connected, you know? I took care of him, like as his older brother. I brought him the food I stole and we survived together."

"What happened?"

"He was a dreamer. He would look out into the bay where the shipyards were and he'd talk about how he wanted to sail a boat one day. I knew I could never get a boat for him, but I got the next best thing. I found a jewelry store that sold a shiny bracelet with a little charm shaped like a boat. I 'borrowed' it from the store and gave it to the boy. He loved it. He wore it at all times. I figured it was like the piece of luxury he never got to have."

"Something happened to him, didn't it?"

Matt solemnly nodded. "Some guy saw the bracelet and thought it looked valuable. He tried to take it from him, but when he wouldn't give it up he threw the boy aside. When I found him he was bleeding from a wound in his head." Matt clenched his eyes shut, remembering every detail. "I found the local pawn shop and waited for a man with a boat bracelet to show up and try to sell it. As soon as he showed his face I took him into the alley and hit him until he stopped breathing. I knew it wouldn't bring him back, but I was so angry I needed to hit something. I'm a murderer, Dawn, a freaking murderer."

Dawn put her hand on his shoulder. "Matt, I'm so sorry." Matt turned his head away from her.

"There are some things you can't take back. Things you'll never be forgiven for. Things I _shouldn't_ be forgiven for. I don't want you making mistakes that will haunt you for life."

"I won't, Matt, I won't." Dawn stood and stared into the flower shop. "But that's why I need to do this. This is my home. I remember it. It's 27 yards from that hill over there. I would count the steps from that hill to my house every day as a child. My mom had a cellar that no one knew about. I saw her carry a box down there one night. If I'm right, that box could be the key to eliminating all evil from the world once and for all."

"What makes you think it's still there?" Matt stood and brushed himself off. Despite just revealing his big secret he felt more or less relieved. It didn't make him feel better about it, but he was less stressed about keeping it a secret. There was something oddly relaxing about Dawn that just melted his fears away.

"My mom was good at keeping secrets. If anyone could hide a cellar well enough to go undiscovered for over 300 years, it would be her."

"If you're sure, then we'll both go in."

Dawn crossed her arms. "I can't let you do that. My mom died protecting me from the evils lying within that box and I'm not about to let anyone else get hurt on my behalf."

"Then, I promise not to get hurt."

Dawn sighed. "Fine, but remember that we're going to be fighting evil that has haunted the earth ever since ancient times."

"I wouldn't want to face those evils with anyone but you by my side."

Dawn smiled and took Matt's hand. "Nor I."

Matt teleported them both inside the shop and all hell broke loose.

Later that day

The ghosts all attacked at once. The group backed into a circle as they were quickly surrounded. Percy slashed the first ghost that reached him and it dissolved into smoke. He looked to his right and saw Annabeth duck under a ghost's attack and thrust her dagger into its abdomen. On his left Nico dissolved two ghosts with one swing of his sword.

No matter how many ghosts they vaporized more kept appearing out of the ground. The pillar of darkness was spreading across the whole sky forming a dark dome overhead. Mist started rolling in and obscured all vision further than 10 feet away.

Grant swung his hammer and took out a single ghost then hoisted it up high and brought it down on another. Another ghost got past him and attacked from the side. Grant couldn't raise his hammer fast enough, but he didn't have to. His giant hammer morphed into a shield on his left arm that deflected the ghost's talons. Grant bashed the ghost with his new shield and it shifted back into a hammer for another swing at the encroaching undead horde.

Next to him Alice threw fireballs at anyone who came close. Many of the specters learned their lesson and stayed back when she had a fireball in her hand. Alice put her flaming hands on the ground and the whole park in front of her erupted in flames, vaporizing and ghost caught in the blaze. She quickly switched tactics and started throwing snowball grenades that exploded into shards of ice.

David swung his staff at a ghost flying right at him. The ghost dissolved into mist before the staff struck and his staff passed harmlessly through. "So that's how this is going to be..." David said. He ran his finger along the staff until he touched a single rune on the side. The rune began to glow bright blue and David took another swing at the ghost.

The ghost turned into mist again, but this time David swirled his staff around in the mist, churning it until it became silky like cotton candy at the fair. The ghost was now nothing but a condensed ball of fluff on the end of David's staff. He put the ghost on the ground at his feet. A golf club appeared on the end of David's staff. "Hey Percy! Batter up!" David swung and hit the ghost ball sending it sailing through the air towards Percy who vaporized it with a swing of his sword.

"Hey Alice," yelled Grant. "Got any battle plans?"

"Hold on, let me think," she responded while freezing one ghost into a popsicle. "Alright, Grant use a sword, we're going to need the speed and maneuverability of a smaller weapon."

"Are you sure? The hammer's got a much wider swing."

"Don't question my orders, just follow them." Grant obliged and his massive hammer became a faintly glowing silver sword. "David, get on defense. We're definitely not leaving here without taking a few hits."

"By your command," David said. He touched another couple of runes on his staff that proceeded to glow. Suddenly, Percy was surrounded in a light green aura. He was so taken by surprise that he didn't notice the ghost swinging at him on his right. The ghosts claws should have dug into his ribs, but the green aura instead dissolved the ghosts hands. The ghost was left confused before Percy vaporized it with Riptide.

"Good," said Alice. "Now Grant, start trying to clear us a path so we can get out of here."

"Right away boss," responded Grant. He locked eyes with the ghost in front of him. Grant threw his sword into the air above the ghost's head. As the ghost watched the sword sail over him Grant dove forward and right through the ghost's torso. On the other side of the ghost Grant reached up and caught his sword and cut the ghost in half. He proceeded forward getting the attention of all the nearby wraiths.

"Uh, Annabeth, do you have any plans?" asked Percy.

"Yeah," responded Annabeth, "don't die."

"Simple. I like it."

"Nico can you shadow travel us out of here?"

"There definitely seems to be enough shadows."

"No," replied Nico. "Not this many people at once. Even if I could these shadows don't seem natural. It's as if something is drawing all of the light from this place." Right on queue the pillar of darkness exploded releasing dozens of large pitch black flying creatures into the sky. Nico prepared for a fight, but the creatures flew overhead and off into the distance leaving a trail of darkness behind.

"Those things are spreading this," realized Alice. "This is never going to end, is it?"

"Foolish girl!" cried one of the ghosts. "This is just the beginning. Soon the whole world will be in the grip of Fear!"

"No!" called Annabeth. "We will find a way to stop this."

"How will you stop us when you stand o' hallowed ground?" spat the ghost.

_ Hallowed ground,_ thought Nico. "We have to get out of here!" he yelled. "This park is a memorial site. The ghosts will just keep on spawning here because this is where their memory is strongest."

"So, we head for the source?" asked Percy.

"It's our only choice," said Annabeth. "If we don't stop this now we could lose the whole world."

"Don't worry I'll clear a path," said Grant. His sword shifted into a shield and he ran forward, charging through mobs of ghosts.

"I've got us covered," said David. He held his staff into the air and a magic bubble formed around them all.

The group ran towards the now shattered dark pillar. Ghosts slammed on the shield from every direction. The bubble cracked and strained, but held steady long enough to reach the streets. Once they escaped the park the ghosts refused to follow them.

The streets ahead were blanketed in thick fog. Percy grabbed Annabeth's hand. "Good idea," she said. "Everyone grab each others' hands, we can't get lost in there."

"We stick together, no matter what," said Alice. Locking hands they charged forward into the fog.

**What dangers await Percy and his friends? What will Matt and Dawn find in the abandoned flower shop? Will the darkness consume the whole world? Find out next time on Percy Jackson and the Paragons.**


	6. Chapter 6: Fear Part 1

Chapter the Sixth: Fear

**I apologize for how long this chapter took to write, but I hope it's good enough to make up for the wait. If there's something you want to say, go ahead and write a review. I love hearing your feedback. And now without further delay, I present Chapter Six.**

Grant was the first to disappear into the fog, followed by David, Alice, Percy, Annabeth, and Nico. Upon entering the fog, Grant was struck with a vicious freezing sensation. Nearly every part of his body was becoming numb. Still, he pressed forward, or at least whatever direction he thought was forward.

"Grant, slow down!" yelled Alice. He could barely hear her. Her voice sounded very distant. Grant couldn't feel anything in his hands, but that was probably from the numbing cold. Grant stopped in his tracks and looked behind him. There were no signs of life anywhere. His hand was still in the position of holding someone else's, but there was no one there.

"Alice!" Grant yelled. "Percy! Where are you guys?"

There was no response. As Grant stood searching for his friends the cold crept up his arms. The fog swirled endlessly around him. Grant picked a direction and ran. Several minutes later and Grant had made no discernable progress. The abyss just seemed to go on forever.

"It's too late, Grant," said a voice in the fog. Grant frantically scanned the area for the source of the voice. The fog began to swirl and shift into a solid form, Alice. "We didn't make it," said the fog Alice.

"Where are you?" Grant asked. He reached out to touch Alice's hand, but it was nothing but mist.

"I told you to slow down, Grant. Why didn't you slow down!?" Alice put her head in her hands and cried. "The fog is poison, Grant. We followed you into a death trap," she said between sobs.

"Alice..." Grant said softly. "I... I didn't mean... for anyone to get hurt."

"You rushed ahead. You always rush ahead without thinking." Alice glared accusingly at Grant. "Your recklessness cost us our lives. Now the whole world is going to die because you didn't care enough for anybody else!"

Grant dropped to his knees. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Sorry? It's too late to be sorry!" the voice changed to that of David. "We trusted you to lead us safely, and you failed. That's why Alice is the leader, not you. Everything you do is a huge mistake."

"We wouldn't even be here if you hadn't dragged us into this," The fog transformed into Percy. "You just had to show up and ruin our lives, too."

Grant clenched his eyes shut to hold back tears. "I'm sorry..."

Percy got lost in the fog. He thought that Annabeth still had his hands, but when he turned around she was gone. He peered into the fog that completely surrounded him.

"Hey, Percy," came a voice from behind him. Percy turned around to see the face of Luke Castellan. "What brings you here?"

The last time Percy saw Luke he was dying from a knife wound. He had sacrificed himself to stop Kronos from destroying Olympus. "Luke?" Percy managed to say.

"In the flesh," responded Luke. He was dressed just like he was back at Camp Half Blood when Percy first arrived there. He had the same smile, demeanor, and everything.

"What... where are we?"

Luke took a couple steps towards Percy. "I'm dead, as you well know. I believe you're wandering through the streets of a town possessed by an ancient demon."

Percy's head spun from Luke's sudden appearance. "How are you talking to me?"

"I don't know," said Luke nonchalantly. "You don't get to make many Iris messages when you're dead. It must be something on your end."

"Luke, I'm in big trouble. I need your help finding my friends," Percy pleaded.

"Surely the Hero of Olympus doesn't need _my_ help. You single handedly stopped Kronos and that evil Luke guy he was working with."

Percy locked eyes with Luke, who just smiled playfully and rolled a quarter between his fingers. "Luke, what's going on? You know that's not what happened."

"What? But that's what all the dead people are talking about nowadays." Luke put the quarter on his thumb and flipped it into the air. "How brave and heroic you were."

"I wasn't the only one in that fight, Luke. The Titans were defeated because of teamwork. All the other demigods stood by my side."

"Like Silena Beauregard? Or Charles Beckendorf? What about Michael Yew? Zoe and Bianca?"

Percy stood in silence, remembering the fallen.

"That's right, they died in that war with the Titans. Along with me." Luke caught the quarter and slapped it on top of his hand. He kept it covered while he spoke. "Sucks that everyone that trusted you died. Maybe you're not the hero everyone says you are after all."

Percy hung his head. He knew he shouldn't listen, but Luke's words still stung. "I did what I thought was right. I made the gods promise to recognize all their children, all the minor gods, too."

Luke chuckled. "And you actually believed they would fulfill their promise? Face it Percy, the gods won't change. The whole war, all those dead demigods, they never made a difference. You're not really a hero. You're a failure." Luke lifted his hand to check the coin, but frowned at the result. "Even now you're lost in the fog while darkness overtakes the whole planet. You can't save anyone Percy. These people will die because you can't stop it."

Percy hunched over, tears welling up inside him. "Luke, stop. Please."

Luke leaned over Percy. "That's what you're afraid of isn't it? Being helpless. Being unable to save those you care about. I want you to remember that feeling. Because you'll be feeling that for a long time, my friend."

Nico wandered down the street keeping his eyes peeled for anyone he could consider an ally. As soon as Annabeth's hand had slipped out of his he knew he wasn't going to be able to find her again. Nico kept walking cautiously. One hand was always ready to spring for his sword at a moment's notice.

The sidewalk in front of him churned. The cement warped and turned black until a form began to rise from the puddle. The full figure stood about 6 feet tall dressed in a black suit. The man had incredibly pale skin and a black tie with little skull decorations on it. "Hello, son."

"What are you doing here?" Nico took a step back from his father. He had to resist the urge to reach for his sword anyway.

"I'm here to take you home." Hades had a grim look on his face.

"Home? Why?"

"Because you don't belong here, Nico. The other demigods don't accept you."

Nico struggled to find any evidence to prove otherwise, but failed. "I... No, I can't leave."

"They don't appreciate you. You know that. You're just an outcast to them. Even after you saved everybody in Manhattan they still see you as the weird death-boy."

Nico remembered a few weeks ago when the campers celebrated him. Even now the praise was stopping and everyone was starting to avoid him like the plague.

"You belong in the Underworld with me. You don't have a place in this world. Did you see Percy's eyes when he saw you in the park earlier? He was shocked, appalled, to find you here. He doesn't want to see you and neither does the rest of the world."

"You're wrong."

"How so? You don't have any friends. You don't have any family. Your sister is down there in the Underworld and she misses you dearly. Come back home and forget this place."

"That kid freaks me out," said Grover appearing out of thin air.

"He always seems to show up every time something bad happens. We can't trust him," said Annabeth appearing next to Grover.

"You're right, it would be better if he would just go away for good," said Percy.

Nico fought with all of his resolution, but finally said, "Maybe... you're right." He couldn't hold the words back.

"I knew you would make the right choice, my boy," said Hades, stepping to the side to make room for Nico on his shadow puddle. "The only place you belong is amongst the dead."

Earlier that day

As soon as Matt and Dawn entered the flower shop something jumped between the shelves. It darted through the shop knocking over potted plants. Matt took a step back and tripped on a spray bottle. He fell backwards into a shelf, knocking it to the ground. The sound of the shelf hitting the ground brought an end to the calamity. Matt got to his feet and found the cause of the commotion purring and rubbing against his shoe.

"A cat!" cried Dawn, excitedly. She quickly rushed over and picked the cat off the ground and cradled it in her arms.

"Ugh, a cat," said Matt.

"What's wrong with cats?" asked Dawn.

"I don't like 'em."Matt picked himself up and dusted himself off.

"Why?" Dawn held the cat out in front of Matt's face. "How can you not adore this cute little face?"

Matt put his hand between him and the cat. "For starters, I'm allergic to cats."

"Sorry," said Dawn, putting the cat down and watching it scurry around the store before finally finding a nice resting spot next to a big fern.

"Not only that, but cats are cruel heartless creatures," continued Matt.

"How can you say that? They're harmless."

"Harmless, huh?" Matt lifted his sleeve revealing a long shallow scratch going from his wrist nearly to his elbow. "This is what a cat did to me when I was 7." Dawn put her hand on Matt's arm feeling the scar. When she realized her hand was there just a moment too long she quickly pulled it back. "Besides, dogs are cooler."

"Can't all species just get along?" asked Dawn.

"Unfortunately, there's just too much hate in the world for there to ever be peace." Matt had a sad look in his eyes. He always seemed to speak from experience, but he never was truly open to sharing what he went through before joining the team. Until just earlier, that is.

Dawn smiled. "Well, we can all hope that changes some day." Despite the dangers of her mission, Dawn was happy. She was out of her own time, found out her mother was murdered by a demon of fear, and was told that her good friend once killed someone, but she couldn't help smiling because Matt trusted her enough to open up to her. For the first time since she came to the present Dawn felt like she had a real connection with someone.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing. Let's find the basement." Dawn's cheeks grew red and she quickly turned away from Matt.

After a couple minutes of searching Matt said, "I don't see any basement doors or anything."

"There has to be some way to get down there. If anyone could have hidden something for centuries it would be my mother."

Matt looked at the floor, pondering.

"Can't you teleport us down there?" asked Dawn.

"I guess I could, but..." Matt's voice trailed off.

"What?"

"I don't really know what's down there. Even if there is a basement I don't know how deep it is. If I misjudge where we're going to land we could be stuck in a cement wall."

"You teleported us to a state you've never been to without a problem."

"I actually seen the park once on television. It was a documentary about America's most haunted places."

"So, what if you go first then come back up and get me?"

"Are you kidding? That puts _my _life in danger."

"Well, I can't teleport. You're the only one who can."

"What if we both go?"

"That's fair."

Matt grabbed Dawn's hand. "Okay, on three." Matt took a deep breath. "One... two..."

"Wait!" yelled Dawn. She pulled her hand back.

"What? What's wrong?"

"I actually don't know if there is a basement."

"But you were so confident just a minute ago."

"I know, but now there's a lot of pressure and I'm not sure anymore." Dawn took a few steps back.

Matt tried to comfort her. "Just calm down. I'm sure you were right. We can make it."

"I don't want to end up inside a wall."

"We won't. I trust you."

Dawn took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go."

Matt took Dawn's hand again. "One... two..."

"Wait!"

"Three!"

Dawn opened her eyes. She couldn't see anything, but she could move.

"At least we're not stuck inside a cement wall," said Matt.

"Not to question your reassurance, but I'm sure that statement could be used in practically any circumstance." Dawn held out her hand and generated a small orb of light that illuminated the whole room. The walls were about 10 meters apart with a lot of random items littering the floor. At the opposite end of the basement was a desk covered with reptile feet, bat wings, and jars of eyeballs of unknown origin. Dawn took a few cautious steps towards the desk, passing several bookcases and potion brewing devices.

Matt picked up one of the jars labeled 'unicorn spittle.' "Maybe your mom really was a witch."

"These are items of alchemy, not witchcraft. There's a difference. My mom taught me a little bit about it."

Matt wanted to say something about witches not wanting their daughters to know that they're practicing witchcraft, but decided not to say anything.

"Here it is," said Dawn.

"You found the box?" asked Matt.

"No, a candle." Dawn turned from the desk holding a large lit candle. The orb of light disappeared. Dawn brought the candle around the room, inspecting all of the books on the shelves.

"You don't think your mom hid _the _Pandora's Box on a book shelf do you?" asked Matt.

"No, but she was crafty," said Dawn. She ran her finger along the line of books, stopping at one in particular. "She had a knack for hiding things from people close to her."

Matt couldn't tell if it was bitterness in Dawn's voice or pride. "Uh, so what, is there a secret tunnel behind the bookcase?"

"Don't be silly." Dawn retrieved a book from the shelf and opened it. There was a clinging noise as something small dropped to the floor. "There's a locked drawer on the desk. All I needed... was the key." Dawn retrieved the key from the floor.

Dawn stood in front of the desk holding the key. "Moment of truth," said Dawn.

"If there really is a box in there does that mean all that stuff about you being Hope is true?"

"I'm afraid so."

Dawn cautiously inserted the key into the lock and turned the handle. The drawer popped open and revealed what has been sitting inside for almost four centuries: a small simple wooden box.

"Hmm, I expected more..." said Matt.

"More what?"

"I don't know. Just... more. This is the box that held the world's worst problems and it looks like I could have made it out of cardboard."

Dawn cradled the box in her hands. "There is a certain beauty in simplicity, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, so now that we have the box, what do we do now?" asked Matt.

"You die," came a deep voice from behind them.

**I hope you like suspense because there's a lot of it here. I'm so sorry about the long hiatus but I'll try to make up for it by getting these last few chapters out in a nice and timely fashion. **


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